Arkansas Soars Past Vandy 17-7; Hogs Hit Four

BY ANDRES FOCIL

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The 20th-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks got five home runs including four three-run home runs en route to a 17-7 victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores Saturday afternoon at Baum Stadium.

The Razorbacks improved to 26-7 overall and 8-6 in the Southeastern Conference. Vanderbilt fell to 17-16 overall and 6-8 in the SEC.

Clint Brannon (2-1) recorded the win for Arkansas after going five innings and allowing five runs, three earned, on nine hits with two strikeouts.

Robert Ransom (3-1) took the loss after surrendering 13 runs, all earned, on 10 hits in two and two-thirds innings of work.

Arkansas recorded its second five home run performance of the season Saturday. The Hogs also hit five home runs on March 30, against the Kentucky Wildcats in a 10-9 victory. The team record for long balls in a game is seven set in 1985 against Eastern Kentucky in the NCAA South II Regional.

Ryan Fox paced the Hogs with a pair of home runs, one three-run blast and a two-run home run. Fox finished the day 3-for-4 with five RBI. Andrew Wishy, Haas Pratt and Scott Bridges each hit three-run bombs to finish with three RBI each.

After Vanderbilt took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, the Razorbacks exploded for eight runs in the bottom half of the inning.

Nick Pitts walked to open the inning and moved to second on a single by Kirk McConnell. Wishy then gave the Hogs the lead with a three-run home run that hit the scoreboard in right-center.

Pratt followed with a single and advanced to second on a single by Brady Toops. Fox then hit a three-run home run to left to push the lead to 6-1. Bridges reached after being hit by a pitch and moved to third on a double by Scott Hode.

Pitts, up for the second time in the inning, plated Bridges with single for a 7-1 lead. McConnell made it an 8-2 game with a sacrifice bunt that scored Hode.

Vanderbilt plated a run in the top of the second, but again the Razorbacks answered. With two outs, Toops walked and came around to score on Fox’s second home run of the day. The two-run bomb gave Fox five RBI in the game and pushed the Arkansas lead to 10-2.

Arkansas continued the offensive outburst as Pratt smacked a three-run home run in the bottom of the third to give the Hogs a 13-2 lead. Pratt’s bomb was his ninth of the season and was the fourth of the game for the Razorbacks.

McConnell doubled home Fox (single) in the bottom of the fourth inning give the Razorbacks a 14-2 margin.

Vanderbilt plated three runs in the top of the fifth to cut the deficit to 14-5. The Commodores tacked on another run in the seventh to make it a 14-6 game, but the Razorbacks quickly answered with three runs in the bottom of the seventh to seal the victory.

With two outs, Toops singled and moved to second after Fox reached on an error. Bridges then took Blake Owen’s 2-0 offering over the wall in left-center for the fourth three-run home run of the day. It was Bridges’ first home run of the season and made it a 17-6 game.

Vandy plated a run in the top of the ninth for the final 17-7 margin.

The five home runs gave the Razorbacks 19 home runs in the past nine games.

Arkansas and Vanderbilt conclude the series with a 1 p.m. game Sunday at Baum Stadium.